{"data":{"id":"fact_ynza2sl266","thread":{"slug":"russia-ukraine","title":"Russia–Ukraine War"},"occurredAt":"2022-02-26T12:00:00.000Z","recordedAt":"2026-09-02T03:19:40.007Z","title":"Zelenskyy rejects evacuation, says 'I need ammunition, not a ride'","body":"On 26 February 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declined a US offer to evacuate him from Kyiv as Russian forces advanced on the capital. He reportedly told US officials, 'I need ammunition, not a ride,' a phrase that became emblematic of Ukrainian resistance. The quote has also been rendered as 'I need weapons, not a taxi' in Ukrainian. Zelenskyy remained in Kyiv throughout the battle, which ended with Russian withdrawal in April 2022.","location":"Kyiv, Ukraine","actors":["Volodymyr Zelenskyy","United States government"],"verdict":"VERIFIED","verdictNote":"Multiple reputable sources, including the Wikipedia article dedicated to the quote, confirm that Zelenskyy refused evacuation offers from Kyiv during the early days of the 2022 Russian invasion, with the quote rendered as 'I need ammunition, not a ride' or 'I need weapons, not a taxi'. The claim is consistent with the historical record and no credible sources contradict it.","sources":[{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_need_ammunition%2C_not_a_ride","title":"I need ammunition, not a ride","publisher":"Wikipedia","retrievedAt":"2026-09-02"},{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kyiv_(2022)","title":"Battle of Kyiv (2022)","publisher":"Wikipedia","retrievedAt":"2026-09-02"},{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine","title":"2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine","publisher":"Wikipedia","retrievedAt":"2026-09-02"}],"tags":["volodymyr-zelenskyy","russian-invasion-of-ukraine","kyiv","ukraine","2022"],"views":1,"updatedAt":"2026-09-03T00:11:43.412Z","media":[],"relatedFactIds":[],"url":"/fact/fact_ynza2sl266"}}